Robin’s Retro Dolls opens in downtown Winchendon

Friday

WINCHENDON — Toy Town finally has a toy shop on Central Street, and one can't help but smile along with the hundreds of dolls that line the walls greeting all who walk through the door.

Robin’s Retro Dolls has opened at 184 Central St., and owner Robin Randall said that people keep popping into the shop next to C&S Pizza to tell her they are glad they can finally boast that there are toys in Toy Town.

Randall has collected vintage dolls for more than 36 years and has turned it into a profitable business.

She was born in Shirley and lived in Lunenburg for more than 30 years. Last year she moved to Toy Town — and found a perfect spot to finally realize her dream.

“I thought that this was a cool place to open the shop because it is Toy Town,” she said.

Currently the shop is filled with dolls, but Randall said that eventually she may branch out into boys’ toys also.

Women walking into the store would be transported back to the time when they were children and had a favorite doll friend. Randall carries dolls from the 1950s and up.

She has been passionate about collecting since she was 20 years old.

“I used to just do shows, but once eBay came into play, that did in the shows, unfortunately,” she said. “There used to be shows all year long. Now there are only about four per year, and those are small.”

Randall said she has wanted to open a shop all along, but added that she kept talking herself out of it.

“I finally did it,” she said proudly, looking around the store as dolls smiled and looked from every corner.

The town has been curious about the new store since seeing ladders and paint cans moving in and out of the storefront. As the renovation of the space began, townspeople kept popping their head in the door wondering when the bakery would open.

“It was because of the color,” Randall said, pointing to the fuchsia-colored walls with the black and white checkerboard floors and white wood trim. “I don’t know whether anyone was disappointed because we were not opening one,” she laughed.

Randall said she has “a ton” of people coming in every day now the doors have opened because she also buys dolls.

“It seems that people have been just waiting for someone they can bring their dolls to … either dolls they have inherited or dolls found in a house,” she said. “That was one of my purposes. Before this I would travel everywhere to buy dolls at estate or private sales, or with people advertising on Market Place or whatever. Now they can come to me.”

Randall has been in business for several week and has not been presented with anything unique yet. She feels that sooner or later something special will come walking in.

“That’s just the way it works,” she said. “Some of these dolls were just pushed aside and packed away. That can be bad when the elements of mice get to them. Now people have a place to bring them. I can clean them up and I can find them another home.”

Randall loves to collect the older dolls and believes they do not make dolls like they did in the 1950s and 1960s.

“In the olden days, especially in the ’50s and ’60s, the dolls were so well made compared to those manufactured now,” she said.

One of Randall’s favorite line of dolls was Patti Playpal dolls created by Neil Estern. The dolls are 3 feet tall and too large for most kids to play with, so many sat in rocking chairs or were part of the child’s decor, standing in the corner of the room.

The love of dolls has deep roots. Randall said that when she was growing up dolls were everything to her. As the youngest of four girls, she found friendship in her dolls. She said the older siblings really never wanted to hang out much. One older sister did spend time playing with Barbies constantly.

“When we got out of school we would play Barbies until Sunday night,” she said.

Randall called dolls “happy.”

“I love happy things,” she added.

Randall said eBay has brought vintage doll values down, so the hobby of doll collecting is not as expensive as it once was. There are artist dolls that are high priced now, and dolls such as the original Cabbage Patch dolls can go for $300 to $400 apiece.

But there is also a section of a few current dolls that would interest a child of today.

Stepping into the store is like stepping back in time. There are hundreds of Cabbage Patch dolls, some the first dolls made. There is Mrs. Beasley, Holly Hobbie, Madame Alexander dolls dressed in finery, bride dolls from every collection, and a baby doll created by an artist that looks so real one might be afraid it will roll off the couch.

Randall invites everyone with questions about a particular doll to bring the doll in and she will share what she knows.

Randall will be celebrating the opening of her shop during Winchendon’s annual Fall Festival with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 12.

Robin’s Retro Dolls will be open four days a week, Wednesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 978-297-1217

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